Car-coupling



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J. L. RICHARDS. GAR G'UPLING.v

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UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE,

JOHN LOGAN RICHARDS, OF WEST UNION, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 539,306, dated May 14, 1895. Application tiled October 1, 1894. Serial No. 524,662. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.- V

Beit known that I, JOHN LOGAN RICHARDS',

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of West Union, Adams county, State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Im' more especially to that'class known as arrowhead and jaw; and the object of the same is to effect improvements in devices of this character.

To this end the invention consists inproviding a special form of buer between the jaws engaging the arrowhead of the link, which buffer serves not only to cushion the impact of coupling, but also to hold the parts coupled-all as hereinafter more fully described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lis a plan view of one of my improved couplings with the top plate of the draw-head removed, showing the arrow-head of the coupling-link locked therein, the dotted lines indicating how the jaws are opened and also how the buffer yields. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the drawhead with the coupling-link removed.

In the said drawings, the letter D designates the drawhead surrounded by suitable sides d forming a casing having an opening d at its front end through which the coupling link A may pass. Each end of said link is provided with an arrowhead a, and its center preferably has an enlarged block a adapted to abut against the front end of the casing d around the opening d when the cars are backed.

Within the drawhead are two similar jaws J pivoted near the centers of their length on upright pins j, and having rearwardly inclined catches or engaging faces j at their front ends.

S are springs arranged within the casing and bearing the front ends of the jaws inward so as to normally engage their catches j with the arrowhead a.

U is an upright shaft journaled between the top and bottom plates of the drawhead D and having a squared upper end u projecting above the upper. plate to be engaged bya key K as seen in full lines in Fig. 2, or this shaft lmay rise through the platform of the car and carry a crank k as seen in dotted lines.

C arechains connected with the rear ends lof the jaws J and with the shaft U, whereby when the latter is turned in either direction the chains will be partly wound on the shaft to draw the rear ends of th'e jaws together and separate their catches j soas to release .the arrowhead.

The letter B designates a buffer spring which consists of a single strip of metal bent upon itself to form a loop b in its body atits t t ends of the spring BVcurving outwa-rd slightly from each other so as to forma mouth stand` -ing directly in rear of the opening between the two catches j to receive the point of the arrowhead a. All parts of this devicere of the desired sizes, shapes, materials, and proportions, and considerable change may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

When the cars are brought together in the act of coupling, the arrowhead a enters the opening d', strikes between the catches j and separates them (the chains C permitting), and the point of the arrowhead then passes into the mouth of the buffer spring between its outturned ends B which cushions the impact and prevents the block a from striking the front end of the drawhead too forcibly. The wings of the arrowhead having passed beyond `the tips of the catches, the front ends of the jaws are forced inward by the springs S and the catches pass behind said wings; and the force of the buffer spring B bearing against the sides of the arrowhead pushes the latter outward and into close contact with the rear faces of the catches j', from which.

position it is extremely difficult, if not impossible,.to disengage the arrowhead from thev catches undesirably. To uncouple the cars,

IOO

shoot the arrowhead forward sufficiently for ure of the catches will thereafter shoot the arrowhead completely out of the drawhead; and hence it will be seen that by my improved construction when the parts are turned to unoouple the cars, the arrowhead is automatically thrown out of the drawhead.

1. In a car coupling, the combination with acoupling link having an arrowhead at each end and a block at the center of its body, a drawhead having an open mouth, two jaws within said drawhead, springs pressing the jaws normally toward each other, and means for separating them when desired; of a buffer spring within the drawhead and comprising a strip of spring metal bent upon itself to form a loop at its rear end with its free front ends bent slightly outward to produce a mouth standing in rear of said opening in the drawhead, an upright pin within said loop, and two upright pins outside the body of the spring forward of said other upright pin, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car coupling, the combination with a couplingr pin having an arrowhead,adraw head having an open mouth, a pair of jaws centrally pivoted within said drawhead and having inwardly facing and rearwardly iuclining catches at their front ends, springs pressing said Vends normally toward each other, an upright shaft between the rear ends of the jaws, means for turning this shaft when desired, and chains connecting the shaft with said rear ends; of a buffer spring within the drawhead and comprising a strip of spring metal bent upon itself to form a loop at its rear end with its free front ends bent slightly outward to produce a mouth standing in rear of said opening in the drawhead, an upright pin Within said loop, and two upright pins outside the body of the spring forward of said other upright pin, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature on this the 30th "day of August, A. D. 1894:.

JOHN LOGAN RICHARDS.`

Witnesses:

ROBERT W. LAWLER, WALTER L. RICHARDS. 

